Baking Day...

Brynwood Needleworks - French Bread

Handsome has been back in the hospital since Tuesday night. His brother and sister-in-law left on Tuesday morning, and we went about a normal day. Late day, Handsome really wasn't feeling well again, so I took him back to the ER, where he was re-admitted. He's been improving since, but the doctor is exercising the highest caution to be sure we don't have a repeat of Tuesday night, or worse, that he'd then need surgery. 

 

I've been very busy since then, not only with the critters, but keeping my hands and mind occupied, too. Yesterday I baked bread. This is actually my French bread recipe, but I like the loaf shape for sandwiches, and Handsome loves it when I make the large boule' (round) loaves. I also made a small baguette, and ate about a third of it with my Friday dinner.

 

We're expecting that Handsome won't come home before Sunday, so I'll get a few more projects accomplished this weekend. I have an order for one of my Fairy Steed (Corgi) wool pincushions, so I'll set that up to stitch, too. 

 

What do you have planned for the weekend? Are you going to be out enjoying the weather? If you're in Hurricane Delta's path, know that you and yours are in our prayers. 

 

Stay Safe and Be Well, Friends.

 

Baking Bread...

Brynwood Needleworks - Farmhouse Baked Bread

 

I'm doing a few things this week in preparation for Handsome's return to the farmhouse. I'm flying out on Friday so I can see his last Florida performance for this season. That's on Sunday. We'll have him all packed, and then he, Bella and I will leave Monday morning to drive back together.

When we get home, I don't want to have to run out to the store for anything, so I'm making a meal that we can thaw once we get back, along with baked bread for sandwiches or a side for us to enjoy. The bread will go in the freezer, too. (It tastes just the same as fresh baked when it's only been in the freezer a short time.)

At my last bread class, I learned about making a preferment "poolish", that starts the process 12-15 hours before the bread is actually mixed, proofed and baked. Poolish is a mix of flour, water and yeast that is like a starter for the bread. It makes the dough wetter overall in the mixing process, resulting in a truly artisan bread. It adds a greater depth to the flavor, and the finished crust in truly amazing! Honestly, this is why I wanted to learn to make proper bread.

The outside crust is crispy and flaky, while the inside is chewy and spongy. There aren't all the big holes that you find in so many store-bought breads these days. There's nothing worse than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich that oozes out big, gaping holes while you're trying to eat it. Not with this bread, for sure!

I'm also doing laundry, a little spring cleaning, and getting out orders. When I'm not doing those things, I take a tea break and knit a bit. It's easier to pick up and put down than my needlework. The weather is beautiful, even with forecast rain in the near future, so I'm spending a little more time outdoors, too. 

 

I can't believe how many plants are already up in my kitchen garden! Chives, mint, phlox, Mom's daisies, tulips, grape hiacynths, lilies, and hollyhocks are already making their way skyward. It won't be long before I head to the nursery for basil, rosemary and a few other herbs.

I'll begin packing tomorrow, and make sure I don't forget everything Tag will need to head to the boarding kennel. They have a pool, but he has to prove he can swim before they'll put him into that playtime rotation. We're not worried. I seriously think he was the swimming-est Corgi in southwest Florida! 

 

He's getting his swim test Friday morning after I drop him off. Good thing he's got a buoyant butt. At least I won't ever have to pack a life vest for him. Makes me giggle just to think about it. They'll be amused by my boy, too! I'm just glad I can travel without fretting about his care.

So, I'm heading back to my tasks. Not a bunch to do, but a steady stream of small finishes before I leave. I'll see you again tomorrow. Have a great Wednesday!

Weekend Bread Class...

Brynwood Needleworks - Focaccia and Pretzels

My sister and I had a great time at class on Saturday. We attended my second Artisan Bread class together, along with Kathy D. What we made was completely different from the first bread class I took last fall.

In this class, we made focaccia (topped with caramelized onions, red potatoes, mushrooms and three cheeses), homemade pretzels with a beer cheese dipping sauce, and three bread doughs (French, chiabatta and a sweet dough with raisins). Twelve students shared the doughs, taking our choices home to bake.

Brynwood Needleworks - Chiabatta Rolls

 

I chose the chiabatta dough (which Kathy and I mixed in class) to bring back to the farm. I baked it up after I got home, and it turned into the most wonderful rolls! Unlike most of the store-bought varieties I've tried before, these were so crispy and light that, when I picked up a finished roll, I thought they were empty shells!

 

They were crunchy on the outside, yet soft and chewy on the inside. I waited until they were cooled, and then chose a few small ones to eat with my dinner. The rest were vacuum sealed (along with the pretzels) to mail to Handsome. I froze the focaccia so we can share that as a meal with salad when he gets back home.

 

All in all, I'd say the class was a great success. My sister has a cottage bread baking business, so she learned a lot from our instructor. He was eager to share his vast knowledge of the industry with her, as well as some money-saving tips (that we could all use). We'll likely take another of his classes in the fall.

 

We still have another class this month, taught by a different one of the technical college's teachers, to learn how to make Sheboygan hard rolls. If you've never had this Midwest favorite, you don't know what you're missing. I'll be looking forward to the class, and then making them to hold our summer grilled hamburgers.

 

I worked on my embroidery and knitting over the weekend, but made minimal progress. I attended a musical treat on Sunday afternoon. Steven March-Torme' (Mel Torme's son) performed with the Fond du Lac Symphonic Band in the city's beautiful Performing Arts Center, followed by dinner out. 

 

I wish I could have shared my weekend with you...and Handsome. It won't be long before he's back home (I'll see him in 19 days, but who's counting?), but not soon enough to enjoy this lovely weekend with me. I did purchase two of Mr. March-Torme's cds, and plan to play them while Handsome and I share a meal (to include fresh bread as a side). 

 

Tag is looking forward to chatting with you tomorrow. I'll be working on my embroidery, as I'd like to finish it in the next day or so, to get to the next phase of my project. I'll show you what I've done so far when I come back on Wednesday. 

 

Have a great week!

Coming Together Nicely...

Brynwood Needleworks - Embroidery Progress

 

I thought you might like to see the progress I'm making on my special embroidery project. I got this far yesterday, before I left to have dinner with my sister, nephew and his family. It was a fun way to spend a Friday night (in Handsome and Bella's absence). Yes. Tag went along, too. He loves those little girls (my great-nieces)!

In case you're still wondering, I'm stitching a robin (the daddy, as both parents take turns), feeding a nest-full of babies. I've drawn this image, and it will be the centerpiece of my work, when finished.

 

Brynwood Needleworks - My Sunny Stitching Spot

I have an efficient setup - in the kitchen, actually - seated next to a window that looks out onto my bird feeders. Appropriate, don't you think? It's really conducive to relaxed and productive needle dancing.

This morning, I'm meeting my sister and Kathy D. for another bread making class at the technical college. My sister, Diana, came down from Minnesota to take the class with me, and I found out when Kathy and I were together, that she's taking the class, too! It's going to be another fun morning.

When I get back home, I'll be settling back in to stitch some more. I'd like to try to finish this by the beginning of next week, as I have much more to do to complete this piece. I'll share more on Monday.

Dust In The Wind...

Milkweed On The Farm

That's the song in my mind as I was watching the milkweed seeds spreading in yesterday's breeze. All of the pods have burst open, and now Mother Nature (and the wind) will disperse the seeds for next year's crop.

The sun is getting lower in the southern sky as fall turns toward winter, so the light was warm and wonderful on our field. I couldn't resist taking a few pictures to help me remember this day.

Hickory Hill Farm Sandwich Bread

When I came back into the house, the aroma of freshly baked bread greeted me. I think I'm getting better with practice. I also like that I'm creating tasty breads, rather than buying it at the store.

This Saturday, I'll be taking another class at the technical college. I'll be learning about "Rustic Breads and Soups"! I think it's going to be fun to add to my current repertoire.

I'll be working on commissions today. I have pincushions, a strawberry, and three wallets to make in the next week or so. Today, I'll tackle the pincushions first. I'll show you what I'm doing later.

 

Bread Making Monday At The Farm...

Proofing Sandwich Bread

I chose sandwich loaves for my first, completely scratch made bread on Monday. The recipe from my recent class yields 2-3 loaves, depending on size, and it was fun to watch the size of the dough increase for each proofing.

Finished Freeform Sandwich Bread Loaves

 

When the dough was ready for shaping, I chose to go with a freeform, rather than doing the final rise in a pan. I think next time (think sandwich loaf), I'll put these into a pan for traditional, sandwich-shaped bread.

Handsome and I cut into it as soon as it was cool enough, and there were definite smiles-all-around. Success! We decided that Mondays will be bread making days at the farm from now on.

I Have Made Bread!...

Artisan Bread Class Results

Saturday was a day of learning, and it was so much fun! I drove to Fond du Lac to take a class at the technical college. Our instructor was Tom Endejan who, I confirmed that day, is an older brother of a great guy I dated for a little while in high school. Small world. There were eight other ladies who were there, like me, to learn how to make artisan breads. We certainly weren't disappointed.

Teaching Us About Artisan Bread Consistency

Tom taught us about ingredients, measuring, bread types and consistency, and we immediately got our hands-on experience. The students mixed up doughs for multi-grain, sweet, oatmeal and French (my class partner and I did that one) breads. We learned about proofing the bread, and how to treat it after it went through each phase of the rising process. I learned you don't have to beat up the dough (or yourself) to turn out a delicious, crusty bread. Tom also had two foccacia doughs in progress that would become our lunch before we left for the day.

Artisan Bread Classmates and Instructor, Tom Endejan

Here are the students with Tom (I'm behind the lens), and they're all holding a piece of the fabulous, crusty foccacia that had just cooled from the oven - and was our lunch.

We all brought home a selections of the doughs that we'd created in class, so we could bake those at home. We also brought home loaves of multi-grain bread that had been baked while we were learning, along with samples of the baked sweet doughs that had been turned into rolls and coffee cakes.

When I walked in the back door of the farmhouse, Handsome was there to take my bags from me. He was surprised at how much came home from the class, and after tasting everything, he declared the class a huge success. No more grocery store Italian bread (in ten different shapes) in our house. From now on, there will be freshly baked goodness from recipes we received in class.

I'm already scheduled for a second class in late October (Rustic Breads and Soups), but Tom is teaching a second class that takes what I learned over the weekend, further steps in the process. I'm going to the school this morning to see about enrolling in that one, too. (Handsome is encouraging me to go!)

I hope you had a great weekend. Our football and baseball teams (Green Bay Packers and Milwaukee Brewers) both won their Sunday games, which is always fun for us. Can you even believe it's already October? Where is the time going? What's the hurry? I'm still wondering what happened to September!

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Well, Happy October! I guess I'll just have to "roll" with it. (I really didn't mean to make that pun. lol) Gotta run. I'll see you Wednesday, after Tag checks in with you tomorrow.